1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to fuzes and more particularly to an improved time-delayed fuze for a projectile.
2. Prior Art
Current military projectiles in the 20-30 millimeter range commonly employ a point-detonating fuze which includes an initiator in the form of a firing pin disposed in a crushable nose cap. When a projectile having such a fuze strikes a target, the nose is crushed, causing the firing pin to be forced rearwardly into a detonator which detonates and in turn detonates a main booster explosive charge in the rear of the fuze. Unfortunately, if the nose of the fuze strikes the target at an oblique angle of more than 20.degree. to the projectile's flight path, the fuze may not operate. Thus, the nose cap will crush but will not exert a side force on the firing pin so as to prevent it from moving rearwardly to cause the detonator to detonate.
Since a very large number of rounds of ammunition of the size range indicated are supplied to the military annually and would be used extensively in a conflict, it would not only be desirable to provide a more efficient point detonating fuze for the ammunition, but also to improve the cost effectiveness of such a fuze.
It would also be of importance to be able to accurately control the time delay between the time of impact and the time when the main booster charge in the fuze is set off. This would allow the ammunition to more fully penetrate the target before exploding for improved effectiveness. Although there are various time-delay means for time-delay fuzes, most such means are relatively complicated, bulky and/or expensive. An efficient inexpensive time-delay means readily includable in a fuze of the type described would represent a substantial improvement in the art.